How to Deal With False Teachers of the Christian Faith
Scripture challenges Christians to exercise discernment regarding the teaching they receive. Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 7:15, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." Jude wrote, "I ... urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." The Apostle Peter warned of false teachers and their "damnable heresies" (2 Peter 2:1). False teaching can promote undue license (Revelation 2:14), financial swindling (1 Timothy 6:5), misdirected worship (John 4:22) and even misguided faith (Galatians 1:8).
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Instructions
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Adhere to the basic and time honored practices of biblical exegesis and politely challenge teachers who do not. Exegesis simply means to draw out the meaning of the text by observing its words and their meanings and the context. That context relates to its time and cultural setting and also its place in the overall canon of Scripture. False teachers often go to the text with a set of presuppositions or by use of faulty or deceptive means derive from the text what is not reasonably there.
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Guard against insertion of meaning or the unnatural twisting of language or imagery in a text. This runs hand in hand with proper exegesis. For example, 1 Samuel 17 states that David picked up "five smooth stones" before heading into conflict with Goliath. There is no reason from the text itself, or any other, to assume, for example, that each stone represented some other enemy, a series of covenants or some mystical revelation. When a teacher inserts meaning into words or extracts non-apparent meanings from a text, ask them directly how they came to that conclusion from the text itself and to provide at least three other verses that support that line of reasoning.
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Interpret Scripture with Scripture. Many false teachings are based on the misinterpretation of one set of verses or a few isolated passages. Consider what the whole of the Bible says to a subject. Jesus speaks of the prayer of faith "moving mountains," in Mark 11. He also speaks about prayer in Matthew 6:7-15 and John 15:1-7, among other places. Some might read Mark 11:21-26 and its "mountain" and "faith" statements as a sort of blank check to ask for anything and receive it, as long as you believe hard enough. But the other passages also speak to the mode, motive and obedience required for prevailing prayer.
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Remain mindful of biases. Let the Bible text and whole voice of Scripture on a subject say what it says. Teachers who read the Bible with a "prosperity" or other preconceived mindset will derive from any passage an implication to suit their will. Personal experiences, church traditions or a person's cultural background will also intrude upon their rendering of a text unless they are careful to be objective. These mindsets and personal biases act like a set of lenses or eyeglasses through which we see the text. One must try his best to take off those lenses and let the Bible say what it has to say.
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Avoid foolish disputes and gently and kindly confront false or questionable teaching. Do this nonetheless with boldness when the teacher is receptive or even despite this if vulnerable or unlearned pupils are present. Paul instructed Timothy (2 Timothy 2:23-25) not to quarrel and also to be gentle, patient and humble.
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Establish boundaries with false teachers and assert your differences. Paul instructed Timothy not to "share in other people's sins." One should gently but clearly enumerate his differences when they arise. In the event the teacher or leaders of the church are unreceptive to sound exegesis, refuse to acknowledge imbalanced methods of interpretation or to correct errors, one should humbly remove himself from that fellowship and find a church that employs a balanced approach to Scripture. Paul instructed Timothy to "pursue righteousness ... with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
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References
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